{"id":7941,"date":"2019-08-21T16:00:32","date_gmt":"2019-08-21T20:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/?p=7941"},"modified":"2019-12-20T02:01:38","modified_gmt":"2019-12-20T07:01:38","slug":"pttp004","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/pttp004\/","title":{"rendered":"Part-Time Taoist Priest 4"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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<< Chapter 3<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Project Page<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Chapter 5 >><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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God-Given Task<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The drought in Niuyang City and the rest of the region was becoming more and more severe. It was hard to endure even for city dwellers, not to mention the people living in rural areas. For a time, all kinds of rumors and suppositions circulated, but fortunately, the rising price of water was forcibly suppressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a particular day, Xie Lingya received a letter from the city\u2019s branch of Taoist Association with an invitation inside. Its addressee was Baoyang Temple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The elegantly calligraphed title jumped out at him as soon as he took it out of the envelope:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Niuyang City\u2019s Rain Invoking Ceremony & Drought Fundraiser<\/strong><\/h3>
<\/div><\/div>

\u201cUnited, anything can be overcome\u201d
Let\u2019s fight this drought together<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n


Xie Lingya: \u201c\u2026\u2026\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He wasn\u2019t knowledgeable about the so-called \u201cmainstream religious world,\u201d so he felt a bit weird when he saw the event\u2019s theme. He let out a sigh. \u201cIt seems it\u2019s not only the government fighting the disaster. The religious people aren\u2019t idle either\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No, well, they were trying to help in their own way, but as for whether it would work\u2026 Anyway, whatever the ritual\u2019s effectiveness, there was also fundraiser. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Baoyang was small, it was a proper, long-established temple and a member of the association. It was just that Wang Yuji rarely\u2014if at all\u2014participated in its activities, and didn\u2019t maintain relations with his peers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya looked at the other side of the invitation: the organizer was Niuyang Taoist Association, with strong support from the Provincial Taoist Association. It also had written that the ceremony would be held at Taihe Temple1<\/a><\/sup>Taihe [\u592a\u548c, t\u00e0i h\u00e9] – means grand harmony between y\u012bn and y\u00e1ng<\/span> the day after next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chen Sansheng, the president of Niuyang Taoist Association and the leader of Taihe Temple, was going to serve as Gaogong<\/em>2<\/a><\/sup>Gaogong [\u9ad8\u529f, g\u0101o g\u014dng] – chief Taoist priest<\/span> and preside over the ritual. He invited priests from all Taoist temples in the province, of which there were more than a dozen, to participate, and ordinary believers to attend. Afterward, fundraising activities were planned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gaogong<\/em>, which originally meant a learned man of profound knowledge, in Taoism was a title for a Master priest presiding over Taoist religious affairs. It could also be understood as the priest of the highest merit. As president of Niuyang Taoist Association, Chen Sansheng would naturally assume this role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the past, Baoyang\u2019s sole Taoist priest, Wang Yuji, would only take part in similar activities if he couldn\u2019t wriggle out of it. The association kept sending invitations because it was routine. Now, though there were no priests in the temple at all, Xie Lingya actually intended to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t out of enthusiasm, he simply wanted to learn more about the industry. And who knows\u2014maybe he would find the successor for his uncle, or at least find out about someone suitable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The whole event would last three days, but for now, he only planned to attend the first. He needed to ask Sun Fuyang\u2019s wife to help keep an eye on the front yard (since people came to pull water from the well) and lock the rest of the buildings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the day of the rain invocation ceremony, Xie Lingya, in jeans and a T-shirt, greeted Sun Fuyang\u2019s wife and went out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As not only Taoist priests but ordinary people attended as well, Xie Lingya\u2019s attire didn\u2019t raise eyebrows. However, when he presented his invitation at the door, the welcoming priest grumbled a bit under his nose. This Baoyang Temple either isn\u2019t coming, or they sent a\u2026 a lay disciple? …as a representative.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taihe Temple was much bigger than Baoyang and seemed to have been renovated recently. It looked pristine and full of grandeur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lately, Xie Lingya spent his time pouring over the predecessors\u2019 notes. As he walked, he observed the faces and bodies of the priests in the vicinity, using his newly gained knowledge of physiognomy to assess their bones, that is, innate talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In ancient times, Taoist priests would move from temple to temple, though they usually chose temples belonging to the same sect. Even now, it wasn\u2019t unusual. Many temples invited well-known and respected priests to become their chief as it was an established practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was best to be prudent when choosing the inheritor of a place like Baoyang, where there were genuine secret skills and techniques to be passed down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though Baoyang urgently needed ordinary priests who could preach to the believers, they could be recruited if there was money. This was completely different from finding a true successor of the sect\u2019s teachings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As Baoyang was a member of the association, Xie Lingya, unlike the general public, could watch the ceremony from much closer. He stood with a group of Taoist priests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The yard outside the main hall was filled with people. The altars inside held candelabra, incense burners, flower vases, and embroidered gold streamers\u2014everything that should be here was here. The ceremony was also accompanied by bells and drums, making it very distinguished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He looked around Taihe Temple then thought about Baoyang\u2019s situation\u2026 Prayer ceremonies? There wasn\u2019t even a single believer coming to Baoyang to pray. Xie Lingya remembered when he was a child, his uncle also used to hold these, but he held them alone, and they were not grand by any means. In fact, they were more like a private prayer than a ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yet, Uncle\u2019s skills were real, he was very pious too,<\/em> Xie Lingya thought bitterly. I\u2019ll put all my effort into promoting Baoyang so we can hold ceremonies with seven priests too! Even more!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the commencement of the ceremony, a priest dressed in red and holding a yellow paper came out, leading the rest of the priests. He was young, probably only in his early twenties, and his handsome face held a somewhat otherworldly beauty. He wore red, yet instead of looking vulgar, he looked like an Immortal descended to earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His hair was short, and he wore a black silk headdress. At the moment, his cold phoenix eyes3<\/a><\/sup>Phoenix eyes [\u51e4\u76ee] – long and narrow; outer corners slant upwards, inner corners slant downwards. It may seem similar to slanted eyes but unlike them, phoenix eyes don\u2019t slant until the outer corners.<\/span> were lowered to the yellow paper in his hand, his expression calm like a lake on a windless day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Usually, the red robe embroidered with cranes would be worn by Gaogong<\/em>, who led the ceremony, while the other priests would be dressed in yellow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surprised, Xie Lingya nudged a Taoist priest next to him, \u201c…Master Chen was this young?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The priest turned to him wearing an expression saying \u201care you daft?\u201d<\/em> but saw a friendly, good-looking young man, and his temper cooled. \u201cMaster Chen had something to do. Shi Changxuan, from the provincial capital, is his temporary replacement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baoyang Temple was practically non-existent in the association, so it was no wonder Xie Lingya didn\u2019t know about the substitution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not feeling ashamed, he asked, \u201cIs he well-known? From which temple is he?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The priest looked at Xie Lingya incredulously. \u201cDid you sneak in here from the courtyard?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya: \u201c\u2026\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So he\u2019s really famous?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The priest seemed to hear Xie Lingya’s thought and said, \u201cYou should know just by looking since he doesn\u2019t keep his hair long. Shi Daozhang<\/em> isn\u2019t a temple priest\u2014he\u2019s a huoju daoshi,<\/em>4<\/a><\/sup>Huoju daoshi<\/em> [\u706b\u5c45\u9053\u58eb – translated as \u201chearth-dwelling Taoists\u201d or \u201chouseholder priests,\u201d or in other ways, depending on the source] – secular Taoist priests, not affiliated with any temple. They can be married and usually have a second occupation (as opposed to monastic, celibate Taoists following Quanzhen tradition). Most of them are affiliated with the Way of the Celestial Masters<\/span> <\/em>a secular Taoist! And Shi family\u2019s teachings were passed down from their ancestors for countless generations!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya: \u201c\u2026\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, yeah, you\u2019re right, this is common knowledge, everybody knows this.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By then, Shi Changxuan had already unfolded the yellow paper and began to chant. His voice was clear and melodious, his enunciation precise\u2014the words flowed with enthralling cadence. The surroundings quickly became quiet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRain has been scarce since May, the fields have dried up, and the people are terrified. Today, we offer this prayer ceremony to beg for rainfall. I beseech the gods and divinities to have mercy on common people, to send abundant rain so this drought will end\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sponsor, place, time, and contents of the supplication were recorded on the yellow paper. It would be burned at the end of the ceremony, to send it to the gods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Behind Shi Changxuan, the priests raised the eight-faced flags and stepped into the orientation of Five Elements. After repeating this three times, they inserted the flags into the prepared bottles (as it was impossible to insert them in the floor). Since everyone present was either a Taoist or a believer, most were focused on the proceedings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya, however, didn\u2019t pay much attention to the ceremony\u2014he was staring at Shi Changxuan instead. The longer he looked at the man, the more pleasant to the eye he found him. He couldn\u2019t touch him, so he couldn\u2019t assess his innate talent, but since Shi Changxuan was capable of acting as Gaogong <\/em>at such a young age, then not only was his knowledge profound, his talent must be admirable too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The instant he heard the man was a huoju daoshi<\/em> and followed the Taoist doctrine passed down in his family, Xie Lingya\u2019s interest was stirred. He felt this man was a good candidate!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014Taoist priests could learn not only from their Master but from other Taoist masters. The more people they studied under, the broader their knowledge. However, due to doctrinal differences, and because sects often held the opinion their own teachings were the best, fewer and fewer people did this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The leaders of Baoyang Temple always believed that as long as a disciple was eager to learn, it didn\u2019t matter how many other teachers he had. Unfortunately, people who thought like that were a minority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it was highly likely that the Shi family shared the same opinion as Baoyang\u2019s leaders. Shi Changxuan might be willing to honor Wang Yuji as a teacher!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though a huoju daoshi<\/em> couldn\u2019t become the temple\u2019s leader, Xie Lingya didn’t mind getting his uncle a few outstanding disciples\u2014after all, his poor uncle had none at all. It would be great if there was someone other than Xie Lingya to burn incense for him. Of course, these disciples had to be talented and have upstanding character, or the whole exercise would be self-defeating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya spent the whole day at the religious assembly and even suffered through two vegetarian temple meals. Unfortunately, Shi Changxuan had either been surrounded by people or otherwise occupied. Xie Lingya didn\u2019t get a chance to talk to him at all and could only head home, a bit regretful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Whether it was coincidence or not, three days after the prayer ceremony, the heavens decided to bless the parched land with rain. The people affected by the drought were nearly delirious with joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the water supply gradually returned to normal, Baoyang Temple\u2019s well had become well-known.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The old well truly did its best to bring credit to the temple\u2014it hadn\u2019t gone dry despite the number of people drawing water from it every day. That chief priest of old who took great pains to calculate the best position for the well didn\u2019t do it in vain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The drought was over. Nonetheless, the nearby residents continued to visit the temple, to enjoy the cool breeze there and chat with each other in their leisure time. There was also a group of people who still came to fetch water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of them were tea enthusiasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They usually savored their tea, so they tended to be particular about details such as the brewing water. They found the water here excellent. Water of this quality was hard to come by, so they were still willing to come fetch it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rest simply thought the water was delicious. Everyone called the well \u201cBaoyang Well,\u201d since it belonged to Baoyang Temple. Every day, people from all the districts of Niuyang City came to get it, even the ones furthest away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, Xie Lingya still let people draw water even though the drought had passed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so, the residents were happy. Xie Lingya, however, was not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enough time passed that he was already intimately familiar with Baoyang, and well accustomed to the simple life here. Yet, for some reason, for the past few days he couldn\u2019t sleep well\u2014he dreamed every night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, merely dreaming would be fine, but in this dream, Spirit Official Wang stood in front of him and glared at him resentfully. And it happened every. Freaking. Night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya had always been a rather happy-go-lucky person. He took things as they came and didn\u2019t like to waste time contemplating them but now he had no choice. \u201cGreat God, Great God, is this you sending me a message? But what on earth do you want to tell me? You\u2019re just standing there, showing me the middle finger. How should I know what you want me to do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya looked through the records to see if something similar ever happened. He also searched the internet for the meaning of a dream about Spirit Official Wang. He did find some things, but nothing close enough to his situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He racked his brain but couldn\u2019t come up with anything. Frustrated, he finally decided to ask someone from Taihe Temple for help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014He had no choice! He hadn\u2019t learned oneiromancy and was unable to guess the meaning of his dream!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He wondered if Taihe Temple would give him a discount. Though he wasn\u2019t a Taoist priest, he was, after all, the owner of Baoyang Temple, which belonged to the Chouyang Taoist Association too. Besides, if he went, maybe he would see Shi Changxuan again!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya packed up and was about to set off for Taihe when He Zun arrived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere are you going, Teacher Xie?\u201d He asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, Xie Lingya couldn\u2019t admit he was going to another Taoist temple to interpret his dream. It would be too humiliating! He turned his head, pretending to look around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He Zun said, \u201cYou don\u2019t need to look, I came alone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWeren\u2019t you going to bring your roommates to burn incense? Don\u2019t tell me you met another ghost.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs if I would be that unlucky!\u201d He Zun laughed, a bit silly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOkay, so why are you here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy uncle\u2019s house is haunted!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya: \u201c……\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He Zun continued, \u201cOne of my uncles lives in Chouyang City. Not long ago, he and his family started to have nightmares every night. He doesn\u2019t believe in supernatural stuff, so first, he ran to the hospital to have a physical examination. He even had his surroundings checked, but there were no issues. I suggested he ask you\u2014you\u2019d be able to easily solve his problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solve his problem? And how, exactly?<\/em> Xie Lingya hadn\u2019t dealt with his own little dream problem yet. He stifled an urge to have the other man visit Taihe Temple with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He Zun saw Xie Lingya was thinking, and his spirits rose. \u201cTeacher Xie, I\u2019d like to pay my respects to the great founder,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, Xie Lingya couldn\u2019t refuse. He took him to the Spirit Official Hall and gave him three sticks of incense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After lighting them, He Zun clasped them in his hands and made a deep, reverent bow, worshipping the god. However, once he straightened, he noticed all three sticks were cracked right down the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He Zun\u2019s hair stood on ends. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on, Teacher Xie?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He might\u2019ve been a neophyte, but anyone could tell the situation wasn\u2019t right! He was afraid this was a bad omen!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya said hurriedly, \u201cI\u2019ll give you three more, free of charge. I certainly didn\u2019t sell you inferior goods on purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He Zun: \u201c……\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This time, Xie Lingya lit the incense sticks himself and fanned them to extinguish the fire. Unexpectedly, he barely raised his hand when the sticks cracked again, completely snapping in half!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This time, even Xie Lingya felt something was wrong, and his expression darkened. He thought about his dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDid I somehow offend the venerable founder, Teacher Xie?\u201d He Zun asked, scared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, this has nothing to do with you.\u201d Xie Lingya dropped the broken incense sticks and pressed his hands together in a gesture of prayer, bowing before the statue. \u201cVenerable Patriarch, what instructions do you have? Can you make it clear?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTeacher Xie,\u201d He Zun suddenly uttered, his voice weak. \u201cDo you see? There, on the founder\u2019s body…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya\u2019s gaze followed He Zun\u2019s finger to the side of the statue\u2014in one place, the paint had started to flake. He walked behind to check its back only to discover the situation was quite serious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baoyang Temple was old and hadn\u2019t been repaired for a long time. It was beginning to show signs of wear. The roof tiles on the main hall\u2019s roof were damaged; it would likely leak if it hadn\u2019t been padded with tarpaulin. Now, even the paint on the sacred statue was peeling off\u2014no wonder Xie Lingya had these dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014Great Founder, this is a fucking hell-difficulty level quest right off the bat!!!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya immediately understood what he needed to do. He lit three more incense sticks and said, \u201cGreat God, I\u2019ll have your statue fixed to look even better.\u201d He paused, eyed the sticks, and gritted his teeth. \u201c…Within two months.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This time, the incense sticks remained undamaged. He gingerly inserted them into the incense burner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an instant, both Xie Lingya and He Zun felt a chill. Xie Lingya didn\u2019t flinch, but He Zun shuddered, even more awed than he\u2019d already been. Xie Lingya felt lucky he hadn’t told him he dreamed of Spirit Official these days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya talked big, but he had no idea where he\u2019d get the money. His plan to obtain more revenue was barely in its beginning stages. With the temple\u2019s current monthly income, there wasn\u2019t much left after deducting the necessary expenditures, and he still had to save money to recruit a priest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He didn\u2019t know how much fixing the statue would cost but was pretty sure the money he had was insufficient. The statue was over two meters tall. It wasn\u2019t as if only the places where the paint was peeling could be repainted\u2014the color difference would be visible. It would make the statue look unsightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He Zun also lit incense, hands trembling, but the sticks didn\u2019t break again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya looked at him thoughtfully. Abruptly, he asked, \u201cWhat’s your uncle\u2019s economic situation? Would he be able to pay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The question surprised He Zun, but he replied immediately, \u201cOf course! My uncle said that as long the problem was solved, he\u2019d pay according to the market price.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Xie Lingya said with the air of an expert. He then turned away, cursing, Fuck, I don\u2019t know the market price!<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nonetheless, he would give it a try. In He Zun\u2019s case, he hadn\u2019t known what was chasing the young man and so couldn\u2019t get rid of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this time, the situation was different. When he heard the issue started when He Zun\u2019s uncle and his family moved into a new house, he remembered something similar happened to his high school classmate. He was almost certain it was the same thing, and if it was, he could help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, the incense sticks broke for the first time when He Zun had been worshipping just now. Xie Lingya felt it was a hint. He paid his respects to Spirit Official once again, saying silently, Great God, you\u2019re encouraging me to go, so you have to help me out, okay? I hope you won\u2019t drop this on me then bail, it would be unbecoming of a god…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the side, He Zun caught sight of Teacher Xie\u2019s solemn, pious manner, and was awed into silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Since Xie Lingya now understood his dream, he didn\u2019t need to visit Taihe Temple. He agreed to go to He Zun\u2019s uncle’s house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next day, He Zun picked up Xie Lingya in a taxi. Xie Lingya gathered some things he thought he might need, and the two went to a recently developed villa district, where He Zun\u2019s uncle lived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After Xie Lingya got out of the taxi, he first observed the feng shui of the surroundings. Apparently satisfied, he lowered his head and became busy with his phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When He Zun saw his actions, he thought, Holy crap, this is what it\u2019s called to plan for all eventualities.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Actually, Xie Lingya opened the digital version of Baoyang\u2019s records that he\u2019d transcribed, found the part about feng shui, and frantically checked what this shape of the land signified…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He Zun said, \u201cTeacher Xie, my uncle and aunt used to be atheists before this and have seen many swindlers. Can you please forgive them if they say anything offensive?\u201d Then he added apologetically, \u201cActually, they\u2019d asked me how you could live in a Taoist temple if you weren\u2019t a priest, and whether you have a certificate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this era, every professional had to have a corresponding certificate, and Taoist priests were no exception. There was even an online registry where you could check if a priest was certified.5<\/a><\/sup>Taoist priest certificate [\u9053\u58eb\u8b49; also called clerical certificate] – yes, it does exist. It\u2019s issued by Chinese Taoist Association under supervision of United Front Work Department (it used to be State Administration for Religious Affairs, but it was dissolved in 2018).<\/span>\n\n\n\n

But He Zun was still speechless! You\u2019re looking for a Taoist priest to exorcise a ghost, so you should care more about his ability than a certificate, shouldn\u2019t you?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, but I do have one,\u201d Xie Lingya said with a chuckle. He took out a little booklet from his pocket and waved it before He Zun\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The speed was too fast, and the young man didn\u2019t see it clearly. He stared blankly for a moment, then blurted out, \u201cFuck, didn\u2019t you say you aren\u2019t a priest, Teacher Xie? How come you have a certificate?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya just smiled, saying nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He Zun: \u201c…Teacher Xie, you wouldn\u2019t have a fake certificate, would you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, it\u2019s authentic.\u201d Giving him a look, Xie Lingya pulled the document out again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He Zun quickly bent forward to examine it. He saw three black words printed on the navy blue cover: Student ID Card<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He Zun: \u201c\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Translator’s Notes:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
  1. Taihe <\/em><\/strong>[\u592a\u548c, t\u00e0i h\u00e9] – means grand harmony between y\u012bn and y\u00e1ng.<\/li>
  2. Gaogong <\/em><\/strong>[\u9ad8\u529f, g\u0101o g\u014dng] – chief Taoist priest. (Source<\/strong><\/a>)<\/li>
  3. Phoenix eyes<\/em><\/strong> [\u51e4\u76ee] – long and narrow; outer corners slant upwards, inner corners slant downwards. It may seem similar to slanted eyes but unlike them, phoenix eyes don\u2019t slant until the outer corners. Examples: Kim Soo-Hyun (\uae40\uc218\ud604), Liu Yifei (\u5218\u4ea6\u83f2), Liu Shi Shi (Cecilia Liu, \u5218\u8bd7\u8bd7) (Source: aoiisora\u2019s post<\/strong><\/a>)<\/li>
  4. Huoju daoshi<\/strong><\/em> [\u706b\u5c45\u9053\u58eb – translated as \u201chearth-dwelling Taoists\u201d or \u201chouseholder priests,\u201d or in other ways, depending on the source] – secular Taoist priests, not affiliated with any temple. They can be married and usually have a second occupation (as opposed to monastic, celibate Taoists following Quanzhen tradition). Most of them are affiliated with the Way of the Celestial Masters (Ti\u0101nsh\u012b d\u00e0o<\/em>, \u5929\u5e2b\u9053). (Source: The Encyclopedia of Taoism<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, Fabrizio Pregadio)<\/li>
  5. Taoist priest certificate<\/em><\/strong> [\u9053\u58eb\u8b49<\/a>; also called clerical certificate] – yes, it does exist. It\u2019s issued by Chinese Taoist Association<\/strong><\/a> under supervision of United Front Work Department<\/strong><\/a> (it used to be State Administration for Religious Affairs<\/strong><\/a> but it was dissolved in 2018). <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    Translators: Eques, Teo, Kuro
    Editor: Eques, Bet<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n
    \n
    \n
    << Chapter 3<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
    \n
    Project Page<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
    \n
    Chapter 5 >><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Eques:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I didn’t drop this novel I didn’t drop this novel I didn’t drop this novel…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I’m sorry it was so long since the last update, but I was busy and this chapter was hell<\/em>. \ud83d\ude2d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Teo (TSMB<\/a><\/strong>‘s translator) and Kuro (KOCM<\/strong><\/a> and CPSY<\/a><\/strong>‘s translator) translated most of it and I’m eternally gratful to them. I love you guys \u2764<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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